he may thinke he wants because he is possessed with all things God is his God It 's best to want that which we cannot injoy unlesse we sinne Weeping Excesse in weeping is against nature reason and Religion Many make a Christ of their teares World The whole world is a vanitie of vanities and vexations Will. To will is naturall but to will spirituall is above nature He cannot resist a sinfull will who hath no other then a sinfull will A man may perswade the will but it cannot be compelled To make Gods will to depend on mans will is to deprive God of his honour When we want a will to doe a thing wee pretend want of power and say I cannot Many prefer their wills before their lives for when they are crossed they wish for death The creature cannot doe more or lesse then God will Those vertues that adorne the will as love mercy justice are more glorious then those that adorne the understanding as wisdome power c. If the will gets into the understanding it puts all the powers of the soule upon action As the will is so answerable is the endeavour Wit A dull wit is fittest and best for him that wants discretion Winde Most men feed upon winde yet there is no satisfaction in it Words Many in stead of proofe will give big words but bare saying is no proofe Wonder For men not to prise their best workes is a wonder Naturall men wonder at worldly and sensuall things It 's no wonder if a naturall man seeke himselfe in all things Wisdome Wise men forecast how to doe most with least noise It 's wisdome sometimes to let passe and take no notice of a fault To feare to sin is wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Wisdome goeth as farre beyond folly as light beyond darknesse It 's a speciall piece of wisdome to finde out and improve such places of Scripture as are sutable to our present condition The way to be wise in things naturall and spirituall is to observe and consider the reasons and causes of things It 's wisdome to doe that which is safest Wisdome is better then strength Worldly wisdome few have but what they paid too deare for The wisdome of man cometh from conference of things past and to come The more wise a man thinkes he is the more foole he is World This world is insufficient uncertain and perishing Every worldly thing is inconstant and a vaine vanitie Many are deceived by the false and vaine shews of the world The nourishing in our selves the love and care of worldly riches choakes the love of heavenly and kils many good things in us The things of this world are sutable to our spirits The world affords no stable comfort it perisheth in the using and when wee have most need of it The lesse the Saints desire the world the large their hearts are for God The more we love this world the lesse minde we have to leave it The more men are afflicted the more willing they are to leave this world The consideration of the end of the things of this world tends to weane from the world Such as are full of the world are empty enough of spirituall things He that is full of worldly businesse needs no other trouble The world is a great snare and deadly enemy to spirituallnesse they are the strangers that devoute our strength According as the world is sweet unto us so accordingly spirituall things are bitter The more men possesse of this world the lesse many use and injoy the more we love it the more we are crossed with it and the more we have of it the more we are in want Weaknesse Weaknesse with watchfulnesse stands when greater strength with selfe-confidence faileth The wisest and strongest Saints are most sensible of their own weaknesses Workes To be saved by Christ and to be saved by works are contrary the one excludes the other Christ will be all or nothing It 's possible for a person that beleeves through weaknesse to goe aside to the covenant of works Watchfulnesse Spirituall watchfulnesse is a speciall gift of God a chiefe part of godlinesse and a speciall helpe to holinesse and a Saints great priviledge Because the Saints watch no more they fall so much There is no good order in their lives who watch not Watching keeps the soule awake and fits us to exercise seasonably the fruits of the Spirits Of zeale The height of the affections is zeale Zeale is the height of love and the heat of the intention and affection Zeale is an affection wound up to the highest peg Zeale is the fire of the affections and it 's very hot Zeale is good when it 's for God it 's evill when it 's against him The command of God and Christs love to us and ours to him begets zeale for him it kindles it and makes it burne and flame Riches honour pleasure ease consumeth the Saints zeale and cooleth them The world and carnall friends powre much water to quench our zeale Zeale should eate us up and we eate it up Every man is zealous for God or himselfe To be zealous for a trifle is a great weaknesse Zeale cannot indure to see God dishonoured in no kinde A Saint loaths himselfe because he hath so little zeale for God c. AS it were with wings Mount thy selfe my spirit Vnto stable things Without alterings Which all comfort brings Them for to inherite Earthly things despise In them take no pleasure But thy selfe advise Higher for to rise Where true substance lies And the chiefest treasure Shadowing things are here Better things are higher In the Heavens cleare Let it then appeare That as things right deare Thou doest them desire Earthly things we know Soone away are sliding Here on Earth below They doe ebbe and flow And to dust they goe Without long abiding Yea they are by kinde So base and unstable That they should not binde To Earth a pure minde The which we may finde To be honourable Counsells Concerning Actions 1. SEe that what yee doe be lawfull see that your actions have a good foundation a word of God to warrant them else they are evill to doe things not required of God is the error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3. 17. that when God shall say Who required this at your hands Isa 1. 12. Deut. 12. 32. we may say thou O Lord. 2. Look what yee doe be expedient the circumstance of time place and person must be wisely conâ—idered to a good action is required that all the circumstances be good 3. Look to your end why yee doe what yee doe the end and scope of an action conduceth to the being of it if two duties come together doe the chiefest first unlesse works of mercy and necessity hinder 4. Look yee doe what is required because it is required and as it is required and when it is required to doe one dutie and neglect another is uncomely give each dutie it 's due
spirituall when they are naturall If our affections love anger griefe joy doe fit us to pray they are spirituall else not When the object is spirituall and the motive spirituall then the affection is spirituall In our greatest earnestnesse wee have most cause to examine our hearts and affections Our affections come farre short of that we thinke we have in our judgements If some mens affections were answerable to their apprehension of God it would indanger their lives The quicknesse of our affections depends much upon the spirits of our bodies All the disquietnesse and distempers in us and by us is occasioned by the want of well bounding and ordering our affections Our affections declare what we love the fooles mind was all for his ease and his belly Our affections are strong and unruly and hard to be subdued The will is much to be observed in it's tempers inclinations motions which are the affections of the soule It 's not easie to master our wils and affections because they rage and doat so vehemently after vanities We set our affections on things below When our affections are set strongly 〈◊〉 things below it 's good for us they be taken from us that wee may take more delight in God and the unspeakeable and everlasting delight prepared with himselfe Concerning actions The lesse we doe the more we suffer Actions profit most but contemplation pleaseth best As the soule is more noble then the body so the actions of the soule are more noble then the actions of the body That which is the cause ground and end of an action in it wee live whether it be God or selfe Even the best actions of the best men are subject to the mis-interpretation of others The more spirituall any duty is the more averse our hearts are to it Actions begun with selfe-confidence doe oft finde successe accordingly Actions which concerne our selves wee oft exceed in but those that chiefly concerne God we are hardly drawn to but easily from If Satan cannot corrupt the action he will endeavour to corrupt the judgement and affection Without some measure of love and joy we are not fit for any good action Selfe-love rules all a naturall mans actions Wee often act more from affection then â—udgement but such actions never produce â—olid comfort but often reall sorrow Actions without a word to warrant them cannot be done in faith and with comfort A roving minde devours time and action The more wise we are the more we weigh all our actions in the ballance of the Word Of afflictions Crosses and afflictions are Gods call to examine our hearts and lives Afflictions are as necessary for our spirits as food is for our bodies Afflictions cause many to see their sinnes to own and confesse them and to be humble Sinne makes affliction bitter God sends afflictions to his for to try and exercise their faith and patience to open their eyes more to prevent and remove sin and to quicken us Afflictions breed patience give understanding humble and mortifie selfe they teach a Saint experience reforme him and send him the oftner to God Such as are most afflicted have oft-times most experience of God and themselves Not any affliction could trouble a childe oâ— God if he did but know wherefore God diâ— send it It 's beyond our knowledge what good Goâ— will doe us by afflictions God is as sweet and may be as much injoyed in poverty and affliction as in prosperity God is alwayes present with his in affliction though alwayes we doe not see him because we often look so much on the affâ—ictioâ— if oppressed with it yet many of the Lord see God best in affliction It is not best to fasten our minds upon the affliction but to minde the end of every affliction which of a certain will be sweet and comfortable to all that are the Lords A childe of God may alwayes sucke some sweetnesse out of the bitterest affliction There is a blessing in every affliction to a childe of God whether they see it or no sooner or later they shall finde it Without affliction neither others know us nor we our selves Of assurance of the love of God Assurance of salvation is an effect of the testimony of the holy Spirit speaking peace to the soule A beleevers first assurance or comfort doth arise from the apprehension of Gods free love to him in Christ As our assurance is of the love of God so answerable is our peace and comfort and accordingly are we spirituall and our conversation is alike sutable Some things tend much to weaken and other things tend much to strengthen the assurance of the love of God Obedience is necessary to our comfort and assurance though not to pardon A childe of God may decay exceedingly in the sence and assurance of the love of God One that hath had the witnesse of the Spirit to evidence the goodnesse of his estate may notwithstanding in time of temptation and desertion question his estate and be full of feares and trouble The assurance of a Christians good estate may be maintained in him when the frame of his spirit and life is much degenerated from what it was The more we injoy the assurance of pardon of sinne the more contented we are in any estate and straight He that hath assurance of the love of God can trust himselfe with God in any estate and straight and can part with any thing for God A heart sensible of sinne and touched with remorse for it may stand with the assurance of pardon Authority The authority the husband hath over the wife is great but to exercise all of it ordinarily none but fooles will doe nor is it comely for the head to stand out of it's place Of the attributes of God The attributes of God are infinite The attributes of God are rocks of strength and fountaines of comfort to his and those that eye them live comfortably upon them It 's best in all our straights to looke to the attributes of God and live upon them by meditation faith and prayer Of Apostacy Going back tends to apostacy Infidelity is a cause of apostacy love of lusts love of the world ungroundednesse in the truth an unsound heart or not considering what attends the profession of Religion causeth many to draw backe Such as love not the truth will leave it To draw back from the profession of the truth is condemned by God and man Offences and darknesse and weaknesse cause many to stumble and turne aside Age. Old age is a state of griefe and sorrow and burden to themselves and others Age will kill no sinne Distrust and covetousnesse doe oft increase as age increaseth Every state and age hath some peculiar sinne to attend it It 's rare to see one full of yeares full of zeale for God Old and cold yet so it should not be Of anger Anger is a short madnesse it darkens our sight dulls troubles and corrupts us An angry man is weake he cannot
deny himselfe Such as are often angry have but little â—udgement and consideration wisdome and discretion A foole is soone angry but not so soon pleased Concerning Books Books doe much good or much hurt There are too many Books and because there are so many there needs more It 's best for ordinary capacities to read but few books and such as are sutable to their conditions Many reade much to little purpose for want of wisdome in choosing books and wisdome to distinguish truth from error and for want of a serious consideration and meditation on that they reade There is more true knowledge and comfort in the study of the Scriptures then in all other books And seeing what God saith must stand it 's best and safest to minde what God saith in his Word and to sleight whatsoever any else say if they speake not according to them Of beleeving No joy and peace without beleeving Our beleeving in Christ is sooner discerned by us then our personall sanctification There is more reason to beleeve God then man but it 's easier to beleeve man then God Oft-times we are willing to beleeve that to be which we would have to be We beleeve more then we see and feele Concerning the body The beauty of the body is a vanity it will soone decay The more we prize our bodies the lesse we prize our soules To spare the body and keepe it tenderly spoyles it and makes it good for nothing He is an enemy to his body that gives it all it craves A moderate dyet is good for soule body The wise prize preserve health of body The most of the paines and diseases of the body are occasioned by excesse in eating and drinking Oft-times that we thinke best to preserve the body will soonest destroy it To pamper the body with costly fare will cause it the sooner to be diseased to perish and rott Many doe so feed and pamper their bodies that they cannot rule them it will end in sorrow The way to be sick is to fill the body with meat and drinke Many thinke that the costliest dyet and drinke is best for the body but it doth not alwayes prove it Sometimes water is better for the body then wine and fasting better then feasting That fasting sweats colds and toile that are immoderate are ill for the body The bodies of many want necessaries because they overflow in superfluities Few men know what is good for their bodies till it be too late Bondage Liberty to sinne is the greatest bondage that can be Outward bondage is not much to a free and inlarged spirit Nothing can doe much hurt when all is well within What can be grievous to him whose eye is fixed on Heaven and knows it to be his own Of outward blessings It 's a great mercy to injoy outward blessings The more common and largely God bestows his blessings the less they are regarded In the want of blessings we come to prize them Of causes Every cause depends upon the first cause The cause and the effect are inseparable Naturall causes will have their operations So much as we judge of things by secondary causes so much we judge amisse Of comfort The immediate and divine comforts are the sweetest Those comforts are the greatest and sweetest that flow from the love of God to us He that lives by faith wants not comfort Full and setled comfort a beleever cannot have untill it be witnessed unto him by the Spirit Comfort without the Word is but false comfort and the Word without the Spirit yeelds but dark comfort Neither the Word nor the Spirit doth teach us to take comfort so much in the work of Christ in us as from Christ himselfe He that grounds his comfort upon a right bottom rightly his comfort will hold and be the same because God is the same To build our comfort upon the change of our lives is a sandy foundation which will fail There is no comfort that will last long but that which is drawn from or confirmed by the word of God We oft seek comfort from the creature which have no power to comfort God takes from his their comfort to give them comfort upon better grounds and for ever God mixeth crosses with comforts and comforts with crosses Soul-afflictions imbitter outward comforts Many consent with Satan to take away their comforts and then say they want comfort Loose walkers shall meet with sorrow in stead of comfort If a childe of God fall into a grosse sâ—nne it will so grieve the Spirit as he shall not injoy so sweet comfort in his soule sin will breake the bones of his comfort The Saints comfort is in Christ who will provide for them while they live and receive them when they dye Consolation After consolation look to meet with temptations and trialls of one kinde or other Crosses Crosses are sent by God to let out selfe Great crosses are good physick for great stomacks Even good men without some crosse are prone to grow corrupt and carelesse Selfe makes the crosse to pinch if selfe be removed the crosse is easie The more crosses a Saint hath the more they doe him good and make him more like Christ All the Saints crosses are appointed by God to doe them good Crosses that come onely by providence wee have most comfort in Though crosses be not pleasing to the flesh they are profitable to our spirits There are but few that make others crosses their own God crosseth men that they may rest on his providence When we are crossed and tempted we shew what mettle we are made on Of cares Cares cause feares and distractions Worldly cares doe greatly distract and make men drunke The cause we are so full of cares feares is because we have so little faith and selfe-deniall and are not content with a little The poore are more freed from care then the rich The consideration of Gods care and providence in providing for birds c. and the wicked besides the promise of God is a speciall means to prevent immoderate care for food and raiment for we are better then lillies or sparrows and our life is more then meate Custome Custome so shutts mens eyes that they cannot see the true visage of things Custome makes hard things easie and bondage no burden and addes delusion to blindnesse Custome without truth is but an old error Forme and custome are deadly enemies to spirituallnesse The rich observe customes and the poore pay deare for them they are starued by them for if that which is spent at burials were wisely bestowed upon the poor it would be much better and so in other needlesse customes Custome by degrees eats out and destroyes Conscience Delight and custome so wraps a man up in sinne that he cannot get free from it Men rock themselves asleepe in the cradle of custome Corruption Corruption cannot be teformed Corruption neither will nor can subdue corruption Concupiscence Concupiscence is strong and raging and hardly
tamed without much difficulty Complaints It 's best and safest to complaine to God Serious complaints made in season to such as can help by advise are profitable and comfortable Contention Selfe willed proud and simple persons love to be contentious A contention is easier begun then ended There is nothing gotten by the husband or wives striving and contending one against another but mischiefe vexation and losse Some will contend earnestly for that which is not worth the mentioning Creatures The voice the creatures cry is contentment and rest is not in me The creatures are full of emptinesse they satisfie but a small time spend in the using Every earthly blessing hath it's vexation The creatures cannot be injoyed without sorrow All the creatures are fading part we must with them and with life ere long The reason we are so subject to be drawn away with the creatures is because wee see not the emptinesse of them The creatures are like brookes whose water faileth when we have most need of them The more we leane upon the creatures the more we are pierced by them What so ever we depend upon besides God and his Word is but creature-confidence It 's not the enjoying of creatures that will make our lives comfortable but Gods presence and blessing them unto us We oft love the creatures more before we have them then when we have them because we expected more from them then was in them Even the hearts of good men are apt to be taken with outward things The love of the creatures doe much hinder us in good things but a wise use of them much furthers us He is not troubled at the coming and going of the creature whose heart is fixed on God He that lightly esteems of outward things can easily part with them A childe of God may in the use of the creatures be spirituall Creatures are not fountaines but cisterns and broken ones yet full of transitorinesse mutability and change God can give the comfort of outward things without them What God conveys by meanes sometimes he instills immediatly from himselfe By the creatures many are deceived and insnared and drawne into many excesses before they be aware to the dishonour of God and griefe of themselves and others Company Eamiliarity with the wicked will vex and corrupt us Good people are company bad enough Contentment Contentment is not in this world No earthly thing can give content Earthly contents are present to our sense Many will try conclusions to have content though it was our first undoing So much as wee deny our selves so much contentment we injoy Joy in God breeds content Such as know and minde the providence of God enjoy contentment Counsellers Wise men will aske counsell There is much safety in many Counsellers who are wise and faithfull Many by following their own counsell prove great burthens to themselves others Flesh gives counsell like it selfe fleshly Contraries Every contrary the more it is resisted the more it appeares Charity Charity prevents many breaches and discontents Calamity No calamity cometh unaccompanied Condemne Many condemne with vehemency that in others which they approve on in themselves Covetousnesse Coâ—etousnesse is the birdlime of the soule Most Mens care skill is how to get money Such as thinke themselves least covetous are most covetous Covetousnesse hath many pretences colours and excuses Such as are not contented with that they have are covetous And so much as wee are discontented with our estates so much covetousnesse there is in us Distrust of God causeth covetousnesse which is the roote of all evill Covetousnesse doth us more hurt then we are aware of Covetousnesse fills our minds with distrust of Gods care of us whereby wee vehemently desire the things of this world to provide for our selves The more covetousnesse prevailes the more it makes a man run ride scrape deceive flatter frowne to get the things of the world A covetous man cannot be satisfied with money yet money contenteth all men Many say things are nought when they would have them easily and for nought Many sigh after death to be free from crosses but few to be free from covetousnesse Covetousnesse hath not a childe of God though he hath too much of it Gods own people know not how to be revenged on themselves for their coveting the things of this world It is a great dishonour to a childe of God to be covetous and for the rich not to be bountifull to their brethren to good uses Worldlinesse reignes and beares sway in all places as though there were no other world Chearfulnesse Chearfulnesse addes to the life of our spirits it inlargeth our spirits it fits us to receive happinesse and to expresse it He that will support diligence must support chearfulnesse In chearfulnesse there is no negligence An unchearfull spirit is soone weary Such as goe to God unchearfully doe oft returne unthankfully A chearfull and willing spirit is most sutable and acceptable to God and man From a chearfull heart flows chearfull actions but a heavy heart drieth the bones In all that are chearfull there is not faith but as our faith is so is our chearfulnesse Conscience A good conscience is a great comfort It 's a great mercy to have a tender conscience Conscience is a very tender thing a small thing will trouble it It 's better to offend all the world then conscience When conscience cannot be heard it will soone grow speechlesse Sinning against conscience exceedingly hardens the heart Such as practice contrary to their consciences will soone loose all conscience and become men of no conscience A naturall conscience will be satisfied with the outside of a duty a verball prayer will stop the mouth of conscience Conscience can see best and speak most in silence Grosse finnes as lusts of uncleannesse c. will burne up waste and destroy conscience When time alone will end griefe of minde and trouble of conscience the cure is worse then the disease It satisfieth not a doubting conscience that another judgeth it lawfull The larger the conscience is the better if lightly informed Nothing ought to binde the conscience but the word of God Christ A soule sensible of the want of Christ cannot be satisfied without him It 's the nature of man to depend upon any thing rather then upon Christ Such as enjoy Jesus Christ exalt him alone as their life and glory happinesse and peace and all in all and count no cost too much for him Many will serve Christ no longer then they may serve their own wills backs and bellies Christs servants are for the most part poore and they appeare to the world very silly and contemptible Christ is sweet in meditation more sweet in contemplation but most sweet in fruition Of circumspect walking Iâ— is a sweet thing to walke circumspectly in our actions to God and man Contemplation Contemplation is a great part of the happinesse the Saints here enjoy Contemplation sums up the severall beauties
yet the comforts in that state exceed the crosses The best marriages are not free from crosses A married condition is a state of care and trouble Marriage breaches are not easily healed they seeme to be healed before they are They provide ill for their own comforts who in marriage lay a foundation of discontent as those doe who marry persons of another judgement and practice in Religion Every good man is not fit for every good woman Persons ill joyned carry their complaints to their graves Few in marriage deny themselves In marriage few choose the best things wealth and beauty are too much desired by the best In the choice of a husband or wife next Religion care is to be had of their dispoâ—ition because we are not made of brasse but of flesh Such as are married need observe all the passages of Gods providence in bringing them together that they may see God in it to increase love and cause content Mortification The quicker the temptation is a taking the lesse mortification when the thoughts of former sinnes prove snares lust is strong the more sin disturbs us in duty the more it prevailes in the heart Of mankinde The nature of man is subject to extremities either to be sad in want or wanton in fruition It 's the nature of man the more he is kept from a thing the more to desire it No man is wholly free from humane frailties oft he is as a bird catched in a snare before he is aware The wit of man is ready to defend that which pleaseth him It 's not comely for a man to beg or to complaine it tends to the griefe of his friend and the joy of his eâ—emy It 's best to handle weake persons tenderly and wilfull ones roughly It 's but in vaine to trust in men to day they erre to morrow they perish It is better to trust in the Lord then to put confidence in Princes We need observe humorous persons for they have sudden pangs and passions from affection not judgement that rise high on a sodaine and fall as fast when the humor is over one sex is more prone to this then the other A man may know whether he be good or bad by observing his principle and his constant inclination to will is present with me Man cannot make straight that which God hath made crooked There is no man so honest and upright that never swarved from the duty of a good man Such measure as we mete to others we oft meet with Melancholy A small matter finkes one that is melancholy Of meanes It 's hard to trust God for that for which we see no meanes to attaine When all meanes saile God will send help in the mount will the Lord be seene Of mourning It 's best to mourne alone and to rejoyce with company It 's profitable to goe to the house of mourning and to behold a dying man Of malice The malice of the Devill few know fewer well waigh fewer wisely and carefully resist Nature Nature cannot well beare a sudden alteration That which is naturaâ—l to a man he is constant in and acteth unconstrained Nâ—cessity He is wise that converteth necessity into a vertue That which cannot be cured must be endured Memory Order is a help to memory and understanding Originall The originall is God whom if we know we know the originall Ordination What God hath ordained it must be mans ordination oft comes to nothing Order For want of order some reade much and profit little Offences None are more forward to take offence then those who are most forward to give offence Such as are fullest of failings can least beare with others failing Christ and his truth and people are a great offence in the eyes of many Obedience Obedience is a harsh word to proud persons Our obedience to God is most direct when there is nothing else to sweeten the action It is not safe to judge of our obedience by the successes of it but by the Word Of oaths An oath is of force to him that thinkes it lawfull bound to keep it but when that opinion is ceased it doth more hurt then good Because of oaths the Land mournes Of peace Man cannot give peace unill the LORD speak peace there is no peace Where no peace is there may be quietnesse or silence Those that injoy peace doe so prize it that they are afraid to loose it The people of God are a peaceable people He can easily be at peace with men that knows God is at peace with him When peace among the good is wanting the Devill works strongly When quietnesse is in the heart there is not much disquietnesse in the tongue He that can but a little deny himselfe may injoy much peace Profession The Saints are subject to let goe their profession Prevent He wills his fall whose fall he could prevent but would not Providence When meanes faile God can help without Sometimes wise men want breadâ— politick men riches skilfull men favour with others The providence of God reacheth all things yet few observe it A froward and discontented spirit doth not know minde nor acknowledge the will and providence of God As we are discontented at the providence of God so much carnall reason and so much want of faith The providence of God discovers his willâ— as â—ell as his Word though not in the same way Every thing happeneth to every man yet nothing happeneth but what and when God appointeth it Prise That which a man prizeth most he loves best and is most provoked when hindred in the injoyment of it Paâ—ience Patience suppresseth and restraineth great â—isâ—hiese Patience is a salve for all sores Patience will keep a man from being miseâ—able though it cannot keep him from misery Impatience doth perplex distract a man He that would be a patient man must not take liberty to be angry at trifles Of porâ—ions Great portions and great stomacks high spirits and costly fashions and great expences oft goe together A lesser portion with prudence in seven yeares may equall one much greater Pride As a naturall man groweth in giâ—ts and parts so he groweth in pride Pride is one of the greatest enemies to the free love of God Pride is the nurse of hypocrisie The pride of man befooles him The proudest men are the weakest and most troubled with discontent He that thinkes not himselfe great thinkes there is no great hurt done if he be a little wronged If we did fully know our selves we could not be proud We are ready to be most proud of that which should most humble us Spirituall pride is usually cured with a fall Our delicate fare costly apparrell and idlenesse causeth the wise to despise us Passion Passion robs us of quietnesse and confidence which is our strength Passion doth no good in the things of God or man When we give way to passion the Devill enterâ— Passion distracts counsell and judgement and causeth to erre in the choice of
to deny him his own 2. Love is the best thing we have therefore we should give it to God who is the chiefest and best good therfore he hath right to the highest pitch of our love and it 's pittie so sweet an affection as love is should be spent upon any thing but himselfe 3. Love will be fixed upon somewhat and it 's unreasonable to deny it to God and give it to the creature this were to forsake a living fountaine for a broken Cisterne Jer. 2. 4. God is the same he was when yee first loved him then yee looked upon him to deserve the highest measure of love and could not be loved enough God is not changed Heb. 13. 8. Therefore the change is in thy selfe 5. So much as you have left your first love so much you have left God God counts himselfe charged with iniâ—uitie when he is forsaken see Jer. 2. 6. In so doing yee greatly dishonour God as if there were not a fulnesse of perfection in him if there be in him what yee expected why doe you love him lesse thy practise declares thou repentest thee in loving him so much as if he is not worthy of it tell me canst thou mend thy selfe in bestowing thy love elsewhere 7. Lastly God hath done much for thee he hath saved thee from wrath hell and destruction and provided for thee a place of happinesse with himselfe yea given thee himselfe could he give thee more is all this as nothing to thee canst thou doe too much for him that hath done so much for thee why then doest thou not give him thy fiâ—st love and love him dearely and vehemently that hath so loved thee Use Leaving our first love is so great an evill that it should greatly humble us The meanes God prescribes for their recovery are three first to remember from whence thou art fallen secondly repent thirdly to doe their first workes Fallen persons may recover for God useth meanes to recover such this his love should worke upon us one great cause we doe not our dutie is because we doe not minde it our declinings might easily be discerned by us if we did but minde it The consideration and remembrance of what we once were and what we now are is a speciall meanes to convince one that is fallen Consider and see if you cannot remember the time 1. When your soules thirsted more for God and â—anted and brayed more vehemently after him then now short breathing is a signe of spirituall decaying therefore know you are fallen from your first love Psal 42. 1 2. 2. See if you cannot remember that time was when you tooke more sweet joy and delight in drawing neare to him and in communion with him then now then yee are fallen and your affections are divided 3. If you can remember the time was when you had more faith and confidence in God then now you have then you are fallen for a decay in faith and a decay in love ever goe together the lesse faith the lesse love so much unbeliefe so much want of love 4. If there was a time in which you were more willing to doe and suffer for God and to dye to goe home to him then you have left your first love 5. Are you as frequent in duties and as much in them now as ever are not spirituall duties something more wearisome and burdensome to thee then once they were then thou art fallen from thy first love Some may say once I prayed with more faith and fervency but now they are as my selfe more cold 6. Have you as much zeale for God and his truth now as ever the communion of Saints once more desired loved and delighted in then now if it be so then you are fallen from your first love 7. If ever you did love the things of the world lesse then you doe now then you are fallen for love to the world causeth a decay in our love to God love not the world so much as we love the world so much we come short in our love to God 8. Can you not say time was when I was more affected with the love of God and did more minde him and his love then you are fallen for so much as we forget Gods love to us so much we forget to love him the apprehending his love begets love in us to him We love him because he first loved us When Gods love in saving us did appeare to us to be great and wonderfull it set out hearts afire with love to him to live and dye with him and for him and because we minde his love lesse therefore we love him lesse If we should compare our selves with these Ephesians whom God finds fault withall because they left their first love what thoughts can we have of our selves when we consider how far short we come of them God saith of them vers 2 3. That they could not beare with them that are evill they could not marke that their love was so to him and zeale for him was so strong that it over-powred them they could not beare with sinners But alas wee can beare with fin and sinners They laboured in the worke of the Lord which implies carefulnesse and diligence in Gods worke but alas we are sloathfull and dead-hearted they were patient they indured all oppositions within and without they met withall for keeping the Commandements of God and the faith of Jesus they suffered much patiently as appeares Rev. 1. 9. We are impatient even at words Thou hast borne which implies afflictions sufferings pressures we can hardly beare with any thing And hast not fainted here was their courage for God and his truth they bore great trials without fainting we faint under small trials yea at the hearing of them For my Names sake their ends were holy they sought not themselves backs nor bellies but did all for the name and sake of God this holy frame of spirit is a sweet thing oh how farre short doe we come of them Obs Many good actions may proceed from them that are fallen from their first love many good actions cannot excuse for one fault Use Exhortation You who are convinced you are fallen from your first love oh lay it to heart your declinings from God a decay in our outward estate is laid to heart but our inward decayings should trouble us much more And repent the Lord bids thee repent what repentance is see Jer. 31. 18 19. The least declining in our love to God is cause enough of repentance it 's to be laid to heart Repentance is a duty sutable for a Saint that hath assurance of the love of God And doe thy first workes Doe saith God the life of a Saint is a life of action to live to God and for God is no idle life God requires many things to be done Doe thy first workes Repentance without reformation is not sufficient Such as leave their first love leave their first workes as we decay in our love
deny this doctrine Can two walke together unlesse they be agreed Amos 3. 3. The Saints cannot walke together warrantably and so not comfortably without these two things 1. An onenesse of faith in the principles or doctrine of Christ knowne owned and declared 2. Love to the truth and to each other so as to desire to walke together For my part I would not joyne to that Church who denied any foundation-truth and this is one but being joyned if the Church doe not denâ— it I am not to deny communion with those that deny it untill sufficient meanes hath been used to informe them it appeares to me there is a necessitie to part in any of these causes following as 1. If the staffe of beauty is broke Zach. 11. 10. Faith and Order Col. 3. 5. 2. Or the staffe of bands is broke Zach. 11. 14. Love so broke so as each desires to part 3. Or the brotherhood so broke that the Church the Candlesticke is removed one part from another that we cannot performe our duty one to another Rev. 2. 5. with 1. 10. 4. Or many depart from the faith 5. Or the worst over power the best that offenders cannot be cast out 6. Or cannot agree about the doctrine and discipline in the Scriptures for the Church when our staying cannot reclaime the rest then can we not with honour to the truth nor with comfort and peace of conscience walke together Such as love the Lord who are of one minde and heart in the principles of truth are to cleave to the truth and each to other as Jer 50. 5. Onely let each soule consider well that his grounds be full and cleare let not any thing be done in strife nor passion but in love to the truth and them The Lord helpe and direct us all to know his will and to doe it Concerning the Ordinances of Christ many shall slight them and depart from the faith and the practise of them and pretend want of Apostles and of men to worke miracles that all that did baptize did worke miracles cannot be proved but the contrary appeares John did baptize yet he did no miracle nor Apollo Acts 19. Joh. 10. 41. He that is least in the kingdome of God is greater then he therefore a preaching Disciple may baptize as well as he The Scripture doth not declare that he that baptizeth must work miracles c. therefore it may not be restrained to such consider 1 Cor. 12. 7. to 14. The gifts of the Spirit are in nature one though diverse in operation therefore of equall authority and so to be esteemed by us 1 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. 24. He that is baptized by any of the gifts of the Spirit is baptized by the same Spirit we are baptized by one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. He saith not by the gifts of miracles see vers 28 29 30. If God workes in all the operations of the Spirit the baptisme by one gift of it is to be acknowledged the baptisme of the same God the first is true 1 Cor. 12. 6. therefore the latter is true also To tie Baptisme to some of the gifts of the Spirit and not to the rest is to dishonour the Spirit as 1 Cor. 12. 23 24. This in effect was the Corinths sin 1 Cor. 12. 26. The ceasing of the gifts of tongues and miracles might be because they might not be idolized above the other If the Apostles did baptize because Apostles then might they baptize though they had not the gifts of miracles c. for it is one thing to be an Apostle and another to worke miracles 1 Cor. 12. 28 29 30. Gifts are given to men severally as he will 1 Cor. 12. 11. The Disciples were not Apostles when they baptized Joh. 3. 22 23 24. 4. 2. At that time Christ had no Apostles Mark 1. 14. After John was cast into prison vers 16. Simon and Andrew his brother were converted and that Simon Andrew were the first Apostles appeares Mat. 10. 2. Luk. 13 14 15. Whence it will follow that one that is not an Apostle nor a worker of miracles may baptize Obj. Apollo conferred the gifts of the Spirit by laying on of hands because its a principle in Religion and he baptized not till he had learned the principles of Religion Heb. 6. 2. Ans It doth not follow because it is one thing to understand the principles of Religion and another to conferre the gifts of the Spirit by laying on of hands as it s one thing to understand to beleeve the Resurrection of the dead c. and another thing to raise the dead Which holds forth most of Gods wisdome love to say the Ordinances of Christ are not necessary or cannot be had or to say they are usefull and God hath appointed a way and meanes for such as beleeve to come by them and injoy them Therefore as in Moses time the children of Israel had miracels yet obedience was required of the after ages who saw no miracles So in the Apostles dayes there were miracles yet obedience is required of those who now beleeve although we see not such miracles It s foretold that Antichrist shall come with signes and wonders as Mat. 24. 23 24. 2 Thes 2. 9 10. Christ is not to come in this way yet many except they see signes wonders they will not beleeve Joh. 4. 48. Preaching and Baptisme are to continue to the end of the world as appeares Mat. 28. 19 20. And breaking of bread untill he come 1 Cor. 11. 26. And gifts to teach until he come Luk 19. 13. 1 Cor. 14. 3. So all things delivered unto the Saints are to be held fast till he come Rev. 2. 25 16. The end of the third Part. FINIS a Eph. 2. 4. b Rom. 3. 9. c Rom. 3. 24. d Joh. 3. 16. e 1 Cor. 2. 9. f 1 Cor. 15. 45. g Ezek. 16. 3. h Ezek. 16. 6. i Ezek. 16. 6. k Ezek. 16. 6. l Ezek. 16. 6. m Gen. 1. 3. n Ezek. 16. 6. o Eph. 5. 14. p Rom. 8. 33. q 1 Cor. 2. 9. r Joh. 8. 36. Å¿ Rom. 8. 38. t Gal. 4. 4 5. u Joh. 10. 18. x Ezek. 16. 6. y Psal 116. 7. z Heb. 10. 7. * Mark 10. 45. a 2 Joh. 3. 1. b Eph. 1. 4. c Eph. 1. 4. d Eph. 2. 4. e Eph. 3. 19. f Song 5. 8. g 1 Joh. 3. 1. h Rev. 1. 5. i Eph. 1. 4. k Ezek. 16. 6. l Jer. 3. 7. m Isa 65. 1. n Eph. 2. 4 o Eph. 1. 4. p 1 Joh. 3. 2. q 1 Cor. 2. 9. r Rom. 5. 7. s Rom. 5. 7. t John 8. 21. u Eph. 2. 3. x Rom. 5. 1. y Joh. 17. 24. z Hoâ— 14. 4. * Isa 64. 6. a Psal 63. 3. b Rom. 8. 39. c Eph. 3. 19. d Hos 11. 4. e Eph. 3. 19. f Eph. 2. 4. g Rom. 3. 20. h 1 Pet. 1. 8. i Rom. 5. 1. k Rom. 8 35. 39. l Rom. 5. 1. m Rom. 7. 24. n 1 Pet. 1. 8. o Eph. 3. 8. p Rom. 7. 25. q Joh. 16. 22. r 2 Cor. 5. 14. Å¿ Rom. 8. 32. a 1 Pet. 1. 19 20. b Eph. 1. 4. c Phil. 4. 4. d Rom. 8. 38 39. e Phil. 3. 3. f Phil. 3. 9. g Psal 61. 1 2. h Psal 18. 49. i Ezek. 16. 14. k Col. 2. 10. l Rev. 19. 8. m Col. 2. 3. 10. n Mat. 3. 17. o 1 Cor. 3. 21. p Heb. 10. 19. q Mat. 21. 22. r Gal. 4. 7. 1 Joh. 1. 1 2. Å¿ Mat. 1. 21. Psal 2. â— t Rom. 5. 8. u Eph. 2. 13. x Joh. 1. 4 5. Col. 3. 4. y Phil. 4. 13. Acts 3. 22 23. z Heb. 9. 11. Eph. 1. 22. * Luk. 2. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 19. a 1 Cor. 1 30. b Col. 1. 20. c Rom. 15. 5. d Mat. 1. 21. e Isa 42. 6. f Eph. 2. 14. g Luk. 5. 31. h Eph. 1. 7. i Psal 23. 1. k Isa 9. 6. l 1 Pet. 1. 8. m Psal 16. 11. n Isa 9. 6. o Phil. 4. 6. 19. p Eph. 2. 20. q Luk. 2. 32. r 1 Tim. 1. 4. Å¿ Psal 71. 23 24. Psal 71. 15 16. t 1 Pet. 1. 1. 8. u Eccle. 1. 1 2. x Psal 4. 6. y Luk. 12. 19. z Luk. 12. 19. * Psal 49. 6. a Psal 49. 6. b Phil. 3. 8. c Rom. 10. 3. d Phil. 3. 7 8. e Rom. 7. 18. f Joh. 15. 5. g Mark 15. 34. h Heb. 2. 11. i Rom. 7. 23 24. k Rom. 7. 23. l Eph. 2 13 14. m Psal 71. 16. n Phil. 3. 7. Col. 3. 11. o Phil. 3. 8. p Rom. 8. 38. q Psal 71. 16. r Col. 3. 11. s Gal. 6. 14. t Phil. 3. 21. u Rom. 8. 33. x Joh. 8. 36. y Heb. 2. 11. z Joh. 17. 24. * Rom. 8. 35. a 1 Pet. 1. 8. b Phil. 3. 3. c Col. 2. 3. d 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. e Psal 18. 49 f 2 Cor. 5. 14. g Col. 3. 23. h 2 Tim. 2. 9. Rev. 2 10.